There's something more to celebrate during this year's Black
History Month observance. The dream of a Smithsonian Institution
museum celebrating the lives, accomplishments and contributions
of African-Americans is closer to becoming a reality. President
George W. Bush signed legislation on December 28 to establish
the location of the museum and the means of supporting it.

This is big news not just because we are getting some long
overdue recognition, but also because conservatives brought this
dream closer to a reality.

After the racially divisive 2000 presidential campaign, when
candidate Bush received less than 10 percent of the black vote,
it would have been easy for conservatives to write off Black America.
As a race, we seemed to offer no political value, so depriving
us of a seat at the governing table could be justified. Thankfully,
this cynical scenario never occurred.

To the contrary, the Bush White House is surprisingly open
to our concerns even though so many of us turned our back on him.
Bush recently reaffirmed his commitment to minority higher education
during this time of economic belt-tightening when he announced
that funding for historically minority black colleges would rise
by 30 percent by 2005.

Then there's the museum. The National Mall in Washington,
DC is already home to a special Smithsonian museum dedicated to
the Holocaust, and another currently under construction will focus
on Native Americans. Since 1988, Representative John Lewis (D-GA)
has struggled to add to the Smithsonian collection a museum dedicated
to the achievements of African-Americans. He celebrated some
small victories, but his bill never made it to the President's
desk.

The goal of establishing a national museum about the African-American
experience has long been an elusive one. Activist Richard Smith
III discovered this in 1997 when he lobbied Congress for a slavery
museum. The Washington City Paper described his futile efforts.
"After a few tries, [Smith] says, he learned the drill:
'pat on the head, a shuffle of feet and out the door you go.'"

The struggle changed in 2001. Conservatives embraced the idea
of a Black History museum. Representative Lewis found an eager
and willing Senate co-sponsor in conservative Senator Sam Brownback
(R-KS). It's not often that bills are co-sponsored by conservatives
like Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and ardent liberals like Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), but, for this cause, lawmakers
from across the political spectrum came together. The alliance
worked. Even in the chaotic post-9/11 Congress, the bipartisan
legislation quickly passed through the House and Senate.

A commission comprised of 23 museum specialists and individuals
"committed to the research and study of African-American
life, art, history and culture" is now tasked with figuring
out where to put the new Black History museum, learning what exhibits
they can find to put into it and determining how the new museum
might impact regional African-American museums. The commission
has a $3 million budget and a year to complete their study.

Why did conservatives jump on the bandwagon to build an African-American
museum, providing the strength necessary to finally move it forward?
As a black conservative involved in the campaign, perhaps I can
provide some insight. First of all, conservatives want to spotlight
the contributions blacks have made to America. The history of
Black America is unique because so many of our forefathers were
brought here in chains. The elders of our community lived in
segregation, and we still must tolerate a degree of prejudice
from certain quarters. Despite these challenges, we've survived
and succeeded. Conservatives agree this rich history and the
lessons it provides deserves recognition.

Conservatives value freedom, and that is why this museum is
appealing. Our freedom was restricted, and a threat to one man's
freedom is a threat to everyone's freedom. All of America must
recognize these past mistakes so they are not repeated in the
future. And that is why a museum about the history of Black Americans
should be a place of solemn reflection and celebration and not
a platform for finger-pointing.

While we celebrate our history, we should celebrate our renewed
partnership with our conservative allies. When only 10 percent
of the black population supported them in the 2000 presidential
election, they did not become vindictive and they are doing the
right thing and supporting the museum. Let's find a way to work
with them to bring this part of history forward.

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(Rita Thompson is a member of the National Advisory Council
of the African-American leadership network Project 21. Comments
may be sent to [email protected].)

Note: New Visions Commentaries reflect the views
of their author, and not necessarily those of Project 21.